Public Notice - Fire Protection Engineer (Direct Hire)

Summary

Positions may be filled across various organizations at Kennedy Space Center.

Duties

Duties described below are at the highest grade advertised. Duties assigned at lower grade levels will be of more limited scope, performed with less independence and limited complexity; duties will be commensurate with the grade of selected employee.

Identifies and eliminates/mitigates fire hazards by providing information and decisions that aid in detecting, controlling, and suppressing fire events, considering the effects of fire on people, structures, commodities, and continuity of operations.

Applies knowledge of theories, principles, practical concepts, processes, codes, standards, methods of fire prevention, and fire phenomena to evaluate designs; plans; studies; performance base modeling; and human response to emergency situations.

Provides support to center expert for Fire Protection Engineering in the Protective Services Office, including serving as the alternate for the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) authority having jurisdiction.

Reviews designs and other related materials and considers field conditions to ensure building construction and fire protection features are in place to minimize danger to life and property from effects of fire.

Provides technical guidance and expertise into the development and management of policies and procedures for facility management systems and functions. Interprets and/or revises existing policy and regulations, and reviews legislation changes.

Interacts with all levels of management and technical personnel at KSC, other NASA Centers, other Government agencies, and commercial entities operating on KSC, to accomplish the defined major duties.

Analyzes unique aerospace fire hazard and personnel safety situations that may involve high dollar ground support equipment, space vehicles, toxic and highly flammable fuel and oxidizer storage, cryogenic materials, and other hazardous commodities.

Develops and maintains specific knowledge of KSC-unique integrated configurations of fire suppression, electronic fire detection, and alarms systems, including systems used for launch processing and launch of space vehicles.

For supervisory positions, you will perform a full range of supervisory duties which includes assigning and evaluating work; recommending personnel actions; taking disciplinary actions; and identifying training needs and developing employees.

Qualifications

Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular ability, skill, and knowledge to successfully perform the duties of this position and is typically in or related to this line of work. To qualify for GS-11, you must have: a) One year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level: Applying knowledge of fire protection engineering principles, codes, and standards to assist in reviewing design and construction plans for facilities or facility upgrades; Assisting in the review of construction project designs, specifications, and submittals in one or more of the following areas: fire suppression, fire detection, life safety, building code, or national electric code, under the guidance of a senior engineer; Supporting fire protection, fire prevention, and life safety projects and investigations by gathering data, conducting inspections, or performing analyses under supervision. OR b) Completed all requirements for a doctoral degree (i.e., Ph.D. or equivalent) in an appropriate field OR c) Completed 3 full academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or equivalent doctoral degree in an appropriate field OR d) Have an equivalent combination of experience and graduate study as discussed in a), b) and c) above To qualify for GS-12, you must have one year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level: Applying fire protection engineering principles and practices to review design and construction plans for new, existing, or upgraded facilities for compliance with fire protection codes and standards; Reviewing construction project designs, specifications, and submittals in one or more of the following areas: fire suppression, fire detection, life safety, building code, or national electric code, and recommending corrective actions where deficiencies are identified; Assisting in the development and execution of fire protection, fire prevention, and life safety projects and investigations, and contributing to quality reviews of fire protection engineering products. To qualify for GS-13, you must have one year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level: Providing Fire Protection engineering guidance for design and construction of new and existing facilities and proposed facilities/facility upgrades in accordance with fire protection code and standards; Reviewing and providing input on construction project designs, specifications, and submittals in one or more of the following areas: fire suppression, fire detection, life safety, building code, or national electric code; Formulating and implementing projects and investigations in all matters of fire protection, fire prevention, and life safety, as well as providing oversight on the quality and compliance of fire protection engineering products. Your resume must include a clear and detailed narrative description, in your own words, of how you meet the required specialized experience. Experience statements copied from a position description, vacancy announcement or other reference material constitutes plagiarism and may result in disqualification and losing consideration for the job. Please visit https://www.nasa.gov/careers/how-to-apply/#Artificial-Intelligence to review NASA's guidance on the use of artificial intelligent (AI) or AI-assisted tools during the application process. Promotion Potential: The full performance level (FPL) will vary based on the position in which the selectee is placed and does not default to the highest grade advertised.

Evaluations

Direct Hire Authority: These positions will be filled through the Office of Personnel Management's Direct Hire Authority. Category rating and veterans' preference will not be considered in evaluating applicants. For more information on Direct Hire Authority, please see: OPM Direct Hire Fact Sheet. Veterans: Under the provisions of Direct Hire Authority, veterans' preference does not apply. However, applicants who are eligible for veterans' preference are encouraged to include that information in their application and submit supporting documentation (i.e. DD-214, or other substantiating documents). For more information please see: Veterans' Preference information on the FedsHireVets website. You will be evaluated for this position based on how well you meet the qualifications and eligibility requirements listed in this vacancy announcement. To determine your qualifications and referral status, we may review your resume and supporting documentation and compare it against your responses to the assessment questionnaire. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or assessment questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. You will be assessed on the following competencies: Fire Management Fire Protection Engineering Technical Competence Workplace Safety To preview the application questionnaire, click on the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13018227 NASA considers paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. NASA will not ask you to disclose criminal history record information during the application process or before we make a conditional/tentative offer of employment. If you apply for this position and are selected, NASA will conduct a suitability/security background investigation after you accept a tentative job offer. If you feel you are asked to disclose your criminal history before you accept a tentative offer and wish to file a complaint within 30 days, please contact: Agency-FCCJ@NASA.gov.

How to apply Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application and have all required information available. We encourage you to provide a complete description of your educational achievements and include both paid and non-paid work in the experience portion of your resume. If you submit a resume that does not contain the required information, you may lose consideration. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include the initial online assessment and submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: To begin the application process, you will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application process. Once logged in to your account, click on the "Apply" link. Follow the prompts to select your resume (2 pages or fewer) and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. Resumes longer than 2 pages will be rejected by the system. Resumes submitted via other document types will not be forwarded to the hiring manager, nor will they be used in the review of your qualifications. We strongly encourage you to utilize the USAJOBS resume builder when creating your resume. Using the resume builder will help you ensure your resume includes important information related to your qualifications and eligibility for this position. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. During the application process you can review, edit, delete and update your information. We'll automatically save your progress as you go, so you won't lose any changes. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the 'Include Personal Information' section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process. You will be taken to the vacancy questionnaire which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify all required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59PM (ET) on the announcement closing date. NASA's online application process provides step by step guidance to ensure you provide all needed information. If you are unable to apply online, please contact NSSC-STAFFING@MAIL.NASA.GOV for assistance. Be advised - application materials faxed, emailed, and/or mailed to Kennedy Space Center will not be accepted for this announcement. NASA provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you are an applicant with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency contact center listed on the job vacancy announcement. The decision on granting reasonable accommodations will be on a case-by-case basis.

Other information In the Announcement Questionnaire, you will be prompted to select the lowest grade you wish to be considered for. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with interested selecting official(s) within NASA. CTAP/ICTAP will be cleared for any additional selection from this announcement. Supervisory and/or non-supervisory positions may be filled from this announcement at any applicable grade. If you have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), you must: - Indicate your eligibility when applying for a position. The questionnaire asks you to identify your ICTAP/CTAP eligibility. - Meet the minimum qualifications requirements for the position - Submit proof that you meet the requirements for CTAP/ICTAP as indicated in 'Required Documents.' For additional information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility, click here - https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/#ictap. Any applicant that received a Voluntary Separation Incentive Payment (VSIP) from the federal government within the last five years based of the closing date of this announcement, if selected, may be required to repay the full amount prior to establishing a start date. For additional information on the VSIP repayment requirement, click here - https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/voluntary-separation-incentive-payments/. Per Executive Order 14343, this position is not part of a bargaining unit. Probationary Period You may be required to serve a one-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. If selected, the requirement to serve such period will be determined by Title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 11. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Supervisory probationary periods are not subject to the above process, although, if a standard probationary period is required. You are subject to the conditions of both a standard probationary period and the supervisory probationary period. Other duty locations not specifically listed on this announcement may be considered at management's discretion.